Last week, 50 Cent posted some pretty ignorant and inflammatory tweets. If you haven’t heard the story, some guy was giving 50 grief on twitter and 50 responded, “i just saw your picture fool you look autistic.” Then he went to further say that he didn’t want any “special ed kids” on his timeline. As you can imagine this has started quite the firestorm in the autism community. Holly Robinson-Pete very eloquently responded to 50’s tweets on her HollyRod Foundation website {here}.

All this made me wonder what 50 Cent (and society as a whole) thinks autism looks like and I’m not the only one. Some other mothers created a flash blog {here} to answer this question.

This is what autism looks like in our house:

Saturday morning bed head

Playing on the monkey bars

Loving the doggy

Sharing with Daddy

Being silly with Mommy

Playing with cousins

At our house autism looks pretty darn cute. Now don't get me wrong there is a far less cute side that involves 2 hour tantrums, a never ending battle to just try and understand my child's needs, juggling a full-time job outside the home with doctor's appointments, therapy sessions, and all the normal mommy stuff. But all-in-all Lennon is a remarkable kiddo with many more abilities than disabilities. Not that I was planning on it any way, but I won't be buying any 50 Cent on iTunes. Ever.

I took out all my 50 Cent frustration on a craft project yesterday afternoon.

I have this lamp that I love, but its kind of an awkward height. Its really too tall to be a table lamp, but too short to be a floor lamp.

It has sat awkwardly in the corner of my great room by the dining table for almost 2 years and I finally found a solution. I found a black pressed board corner desk at a garage sale yesterday morning for $5. I bought 2 cans of slate gray spray paint to paint the body and top of the desk.

I took the cardboard back off and cut fabric to cover it.

I had planned to staple the fabric on, but when I couldn’t find the stapler, I subbed my trusty hot glue gun.

Ta-da!

Give me a 2 hour afternoon naptime, 2 cans of spray paint, some scrap fabric, and a hot glue gun and I can turn my frown upside down ☺ . Oh yeah, and 50 Cent is an ignorant jerk.

n response to derogatory comments rapper 50Cent has made about someone "looking autistic",this flashbloghas been set up by bloggers who have children on the autism spectrum. We don't want Autism to become the new "R-word". Autism isn't offensive or wrong, it is just a different way of being. Autism doesn't have a "look". The aim of the flashblog is to show Autism looks like ANYONE you meet.In our family, this is what Autism looks like:

I'd love for 50Cent to point out which part of my son LOOKS like Autism, because frankly, it is not something you can SEE by looking at him.

This is an e-mail I received today:Autism Awareness Australia is proud to announce a special premiere screening of our short documentary film, “What are you doing?”, at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday 28th February 2012.The evening will be hosted by television personality and narrator of the film Tom Gleisner, and is sponsored by the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Senator the Hon. Jan McLucas.We have invited all of Australia’s sitting MP’s and Senators to the screening in the Parliament House Theatrette - this is where we need your help!All of Australia’s Federal Politicians will be in Canberra that evening and we want to encourage as many of them to attend as possible. We are asking the autism community, families and supporters across the nation to contact their own local member and urge them to come along to this important and educational film.So it is time to ‘get your members out!’ for an opportunity to educate them more about autism and how if affects families across Australia.Here's how you can help!Contact your local member and Senator. You can find their contact details belowFind your local memberFind your SenatorSend them an email, call, fax or write a letter requesting they attend our special premiere. Share your personal experiences with them and urge them to take the time to learn more about ASD and the impact it has on our nation.Let us know the action you've taken and the response you receive!Help Autism Awareness Australia and ‘get your members out!’ to our special film premiere at Parliament House, Canberra. Check out our Facebook page for the latest updates and RSVP's! Thanks for your support! The Team at Autism Awareness AustraliaPlease, take, share, contact YOUR politicians.Here is my plea to the representatives of our electorate... (And yes, I have linked toyou, I just hope you take the time to read a little).I have a son. A glorious, tall, handsome, strapping son. A son about to turn fourteen. My oldest son (the first of two). If you met him you would be impressed by his warmth, knowledge, friendliness and his quirky intelligence. If you met him it would not take long to realise he is a little different. My son has Autism Spectrum Disorder, in his case, Asperger Syndrome (AS). If you are interested, THISwill tell you more, though it is a little long. It was written in the dark depths, when things were so hard, and the future uncertain.

Boy 1 2003

The young man of today is very different to the child of yesterday, he reads Deepak Chopra, dreams of being a motivational speaker, mentors younger children on the spectrum. He has written a children's book for those with Asperger Syndrome because (in his words in a letter to a publisher):

I want the reader to feel how I feel about Asperger Syndrome, that it is just a new kind of normal and people with it are just as important as everyone else. Difference is a good thing in my perspective.

Boy 1 December 2011

He likes himself, is confident in his own skin. But without help and intervention his story could... would have been so very different. Please, if you possibly can, attend the screening of "What are You Doing" at Parliament House on Tuesday 28th of Feb. It may give you an idea of the world that is ours. And with knowledge and support, then the possibilities are endless.Sincerely

Monday, July 9, 2012

A couple days ago a well known rapper, 50 Cent made a remark on his twitter page in a response to a tweet saying, ”yeah just saw your picture fool you look autistic.” Naturally this caused a lot of emotion within the autism community and upset many fans.
Holly Robinson Peete, an actress and respected autism advocate, immediately wrote a letter to 50 Cent urging him to realize the damage in using the word “autistic” by possibly turning it into a negative insult.

Holly writes, “I hope you can see how what you might see as a benign insult-or not- was so randomly hurtful, immature and misinformed. Maybe you are naive or indifferent as to how many of your fans might be deeply and personally offended by your insult. At the very least-can you please delete it? If you’ve read your mentions today I am sure you have felt the wrath of autism parents. We are no joke. Neither is autism. We are not about to let you attempt to make “autistic” the new “R-word” under our watch.”

So what does autistic look like?
Honestly, I’m not sure what autistic looks likes. You will NEVER find the same child or an adult with autism that is alike. Autism affects everyone differently. With that said, the experiences I have with the girls autism puts everything into perspective. (I know a lot of families have difference experiences and struggles.)
Here is a glimpse to what autism looks like from all sides.

Autistic looks like: a little girl wanting to be part of a group of friends but has a hard time with social ques.

Autistic looks like: wanting to communicate how you feel, if your hungry, or simply just to say “I’m tired.”

You may be aware of the furore that has come to be as a result of the utterly offensive recent tweets by rapper 50 cent. Or you may not be aware of them. If you don’t know about them, I am sorry to put this in your headspace but it needs to be done.

In response, this blog has started up. Parents are sharing what “autistic looks like” for them, in their lives, their homes, their kids. Go and check it out. We must not let “autistic” become a word of abuse, of hatred.

I love this site. I love what we are creating here. I love that we can help families living with autism, however it looks, to build connections, forge community and strengthen our voices.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

My daughter is 4 and she has autism and she is loved and adored by her brothers, her dad and me. She is a beautiful happy child and everyday is another achievement for Isabella.She may need a bit more help than typically developing kids, but she is still just a little girl who wants to do what all little kids want to do.